Drier for washing machines



June 11, 1929. A. w. ALTORFER DRIER FOR WASHING MACHINES Ram it other materials,

Patented June 11-, 19 9,

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALPHEUS w. ALTORFER, or rEoRI'A,-1LLIivo1s,'

ASSIGNOR T0 ALTORFER' Janos. coiav PANY, 01 EAST PEORIA I'LLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF I IILLINOIS.

DRIER r03 WASHING. magmas.

Application filed November 21; 1927. Serial No. 234,877

This invention has reference to driers for washing machines and it relates particularly to that type of drier employing centrifugal action for extracting water from clothing and following-the washing action, and if desirable following the bluing or rinsing action.

Q The invention has for its principal object to provide a centrifugal extractor with means for inducting air thereinto, heating the air v andcausing the air to becirculated into and throughout the extractor, whereby to thoroughly dry the clothing and other materials ready for ironing.'

' The invention has for a further object to provide a preferably electrically heated means for the air and a fan rotatabl-ewith the extractor to causea circulation of air into and throughout the extractor.

A further object of the invention is to provide the extractor with means disposed axially thereof to conduct the heated air down through the extractor and atpoints release such heated air radially into the extractor to act on clothing and other materials therein to dry the same.

Other and further objects will more fully appear from thefollowing description.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which I Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view' of a drier embodying my invention, the head or cover therefor being shown by dotted lines in open position; r n

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, as

the'same would appear if taken on the .line 22 Fig. 1, and v Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, as the same would appear if taken on the line 33 Fig.1. v

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures. In Fig. 1, for convenience in understanding the use of the invention on a washing machine I have shown so much of a washing machine and supporting frame as to illustrate its application thereto. a 1

The tub of the machine is designated 1, which may contain any suitable agitator or washing element, not shown, adapted to be actuated by the shaft 2 passing up through the bottom of the tub and arranged to be a plurality of- 'nular depending flange.

rim of the disc.

operated from any suitable driving meehanism, not shown. The frame of the machine includes ahead frame 3 provided with an oifset r ng-like portion 4 to which astandard or post 5is'secured. I j Normally'dispo'sed within the ring 4 and assumin a vertical position alongside the tub l -is the preferably imperforatereoeptacle 6 having a closed lower end and an 'open upper end disposed above the upper surface of said ring 4 and the upper edge of said receptacle is turned outwardly and downwardly, asflat 7, to present an upper curved caring surface to receive asimilarly-formed surface on the under side of a cup-shaped disc 8. The two such surfaces, ,when'the parts are assembled, adapted to provide radially arranged conduits or openingsfor the passage of water'expelledfrom the receptacle 6 as a result of centrifugal action due tothe rotation of said receptacle. To'the lower end of the receptacle is suitably connected a shaft If v nected to said bottom and extending upwardly and axially Within the receptacle and terminating near the upper end thereof is the tubular member 11, open-at its upper end and being preferably slightly cone shape, Whereby to provide a smaller upper end and a larger lower end. The wall of this member is provided with a multiplicityof air egress openings 12 to eject air entering into theupper end '90 of saidmember radially into-and throughout the body of said receptacle, as indicated 7 by the arrows in Fig.1.

The disc 8 tapers downwardly and inward ly and is provided axially with an opening 13 surrounded on its lower 14 providing a seat on the lower surface ofs'aiddisc into which projects the upper end of thetubular meI'nber 11, the open end of which is immediately'mo below the 0pening 13, i n the disc, -through which heated air enters to bedischarged from the member 11 throughthe openin s 12-therein. .The disc 8 is further provided with a. central hub portion 15 from which radiates 5 thegplurality of radially arranged wings or vanes 16 connected at their outer'ends to-t-he These wings or vanes serve as a fan, when the disc is rotated with the re surface with the antral opening 13 in the disc and, into the tubular member 11. The hub 15 isprovided with a\self aligning ball-bearing 17 from which Supported on the ring portion 4 of the head a frame is a housing 21 having an annular chamber 22 formed by the outer annular wall of said housing andan inner annular flanged Wall 23, the latter providing a central opening 24 in which the receptacle 6 is positioned and through which it is moved to place the receptacle in operative position or remove it therefrom. Said flanged wall has a bearing relation with the inner surface of the ring portion 4 on which the housing is manually and circumferentially adjustable to position a drain-25, see Fig. 2,-to facilitate the dis- A charge of water received by the housing'from the receptacle to the tub 1 or a receptacle, not shown, placed at some suitable point about the extractor. Under normal working conditions the flanged bearing portion 7 of the receptacle overlies the flanged'wall 23 of the' housing 21, see Fig. 1, and insures the discharge of the water from the receptacle through the openings between the disc 8 and said flange7, into the chamber 22 of said housing and without drippings finding their way down the'outer surface of the receptacle,

The housing 21 is further provided with anoverlying inwardly turned flange portion 7 26 providing a central opening through which the receptacle may be placed or removed and to enable the placing and-removal of the disc 8, carried by the head 20, the latter .being hinged at 27 to one side of the flanged portion 26 of thehousing and diametrically thereto at the opposite side of said housing is provfided a locking member 28 for securing the head 20 in closed position and the disc 8 in op erative engagement with the receptacle 6, in manner shown. The head 20 has an inwardly inclined-portion 29 providing a dome with a centralopening 30, the lower edge of the wall forming such dome terminating in a downwardly extending annular flange 31 encircling a similarly formed portion on the [has secured on the to disc 8, whereby air entering through the opening 30 in said head is directed downwardly and through the spaces between the vanes 16 forming the fan in the disc 8. The head 20 thereof a;,cover plate 32, which, together with the head provides a chambered portion 33 in the head and above and around the opening 30 of the dome 29 in whlch is positioned a heating element 34 preferably suspended from the cover plate 32 and around which air is circulated which enters the head through an-air vent 35 disposed in and arranged centrally of the cover plate 32.

The chambered portion 33 in the head has an annular pocket lying along the surface of the dome 29 to catch any sparks or flame, should any occur, and retard or prevent their entry into the tubular member 11. It will be obvious, that with the receptacle 6 rotating and with it the fan in the disc 8 that air drawn into the vent 35 will circulate ,down and around the heating element 34 and such heated air will be caused to pass down through the opening 30 and the fan and passing down over the inwardly inclined wall of the disc 8 will be forced through the opening 13 in the disc and down into the tubular member 11 and'out through the openings 12 and caused to circulate through and around clothing and other material in the receptacle 7 and dry the same. The wiring carrying the current to heat the element 33' may be carried I the disclosure herein, and I, therefore, do not limit myself except as may be expressed by the claims.'

What I claim is:

1. In adrier, a rotatable receptacle, a dished member at the top of the member having a central opening, a perforated tubular member secured to and depending from said dished member and communicating with said opening, a fan having blades secured to said dished member and disposed above the bottom thereof, said dished member having a part spaced above the top of the receptacle to form an outlet for the receptacle, a housing having an annular chamber surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and communicating with said outlet of the receptacle, a hollow head supported on the housing and having a part forming the top of the annular chamber and further having a bottom part provided with a conical under face and formed with a central opening overlying the fan, the, top of the headhaving an air inlet and a heating element between said air inlet and said bottom part of the head and spaced from each and having its periphery spaced from the mare ginal wall of the head.

2. Ina drier, a rotary receptacle, a member at the top of the receptacle, means associated with said member to distribute air V within the receptacle, a fan overlying and connected to the member, a hollow head, means to stationarily support the head above the member, said head having a bottom formed with an air opening overlying the fan and having a top formed with an air inlet,

and a heater in the head spaced from the top- 7 and bottom thereof and having its periphery spaced from the marginal wall of the'head.

3. In a drier, a rotary receptacle, air circulating means in the receptacle, means. to

create a current of air for said air circulating means carried by the receptacle, liquid outlet means carried by the receptacle, means to re ceive the liquid from the outlet means and being stationary with respect to the rotary movements of the receptacle, a head having a top and a bottom opening and forming a part of said receiving means, a removable closure for the top opening of the head having anair inlet, and a heater carried by said closure and arranged beneath said air inlet thereof.

culating means in the receptacle, means to create a current of air for said air circulating means carried by the receptacle, liquid outlet means carried by the receptacle, means to receive the liquid from the outlet means and being, stationary with respect to the rotary movements of the receptacle, a head having a top and a bottom opening and forming a part of said receiving means, a removable closure for the top opening of the head having an air inlet, and a heater of substantially conical form carried by said closure and spaced from the top and bottom of the head and from the marginal wall thereof and having its concave side, facing downwardly and extending beyond the opening in the bottom opening of.-

the top opening having an air inlet and a heater carried by the cover and arranged between the air inlet thereof and said air opening of the head. 4; In a drier, a rotary receptacle, air cir- In witness whereof, I have hereunto atfixed my hand and seal this 18 day of November,

ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER. 

